At the weekend, Haicheng Sports Centre, sunny, with a howling cold wind.
“Is Lu God coming today?”
“Is Sister Wan coming? I want to show my martial prowess in front of the goddess… no, the queen!”
“Smash the Gauls!”
In recent years, domestic mixed martial arts had not made much progress. Instead, full-armour combat had gained traction, thanks to several flashy fighting videos from Lu Zheng. Starting from scratch, it had developed considerably. Some muscular men who practised traditional martial arts struggled on the unarmed stage due to lack of experience and reaction speed, but in armour, wielding weapons, they were remarkably fierce and could execute many martial arts moves effectively.
The country’s several clubs were mostly backed by wealthy second-generation heirs, who recruited plenty of these traditional martial arts musclemen. Over the past two years, competing against Japan and Korea, they had gradually won more than they lost. This year, at the annual European full-armour combat tournament, they even took third place, behind only the Hans country and the Mao Xiong country. This greatly displeased the Gauls, who finished fourth, leading to this friendly match.
Although it was nominally between the Wu Yue Club and the Saint Lion Club, Zhao Wenyu had properly applied for the sports centre, hired a third-party company to organise the event, and sold tickets for profit.
At the same time, the heads of clubs from Beidu, Yangcheng, and Pengcheng had also come to Haicheng to join the excitement.
The buzz was no less than the previous friendly match against Japan’s Sixth Heaven Club.
“By the way, is your club’s star player, Brother Lu, competing?” asked Wang Han, the burly head of Beidu’s Dragon King Club, smiling at Zhao Wenyu. “Want me to lend you a few experts? We’re all countrymen, after all. It wouldn’t look good for us if you get crushed.”
“Tch!” Zhao Wenyu snorted dismissively. “Right now, our Haicheng Wu Yue Club has the biggest name in the country, okay? Otherwise, why would Saint Lion contact us and not you lot?”
Feng Yixing, the flashy young head of Pengcheng’s Dafeng Club and the wealthiest among them, chimed in. “Your Brother Lu just got the jump on everyone. If he came to our club, he might not even make the top three. When are we holding a domestic top-four tournament to decide the real number one?”
Zhao Wenyu shot him a sideways glance. “Trying to step on Brother Lu to climb higher? Careful you don’t strain your back!”
Zeng Jingyi, the head of Yangcheng’s Wuling Club, was a lively and attractive woman. “Where’s Brother Lu’s expert girlfriend, Sister Wan? Is she coming today? Introduce me, yeah?”
Zhao Wenyu nodded. “She should be here. But Sister Wan is a police officer, so she’s just coming for fun.”
Feng Yixing shrugged. “So what if she’s police? Does that make her an automatic expert? My club has two retired armed police fighters. Wouldn’t that make them grandmasters?”
Wang Han and Zeng Jingyi looked at Feng Yixing strangely, making him confused. “What are you staring at?”
“You’ve never followed Brother Lu and Sister Wan’s news, have you?” Wang Han said.
“What’s the big deal? Are they immortals?” Feng Yixing raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen that video of the guy sparring knives with the Japanese. It was decent, but just that. So what?”
“So you don’t know Sister Wan flipped a Northeast tiger bare-handed?” Zeng Jingyi smirked.
“Or that Brother Lu toyed with UFC gold-belt champions like they were children?” Wang Han asked coolly.
“WTF?” Feng Yixing was stunned, swearing outright. “For real? You’re not messing with me?”
Just then, Zhao Wenyu’s phone rang. He glanced at it, then bolted from the sports centre entrance towards the car park.
“Brother Lu’s here?” Wang Han and Zeng Jingyi hurried after him, with Feng Yixing reluctantly following.
The four reached the car park and saw a white BMW M8 Gran Coupé pull up not far from Zhao Wenyu.
As the doors opened, Lin Wan stepped out first. Zhao Wenyu trotted over eagerly. “Brother Lu got a new car? Why switch to such a massive beast?”
Behind Lin Wan, three more women emerged, each with distinct allure.
Not only Zhao Wenyu gawked, but Wang Han and the others, catching up, froze too. Zeng Jingyi halted mid-step. Wang Han muttered, “Surrounded by beauties, and all top-tier!”
Feng Yixing instantly felt a kindred spirit, his admiration for Lu Zheng skyrocketing.
“Wenyu!”
Lu Zheng got out and greeted Zhao Wenyu. “I texted asking where you were. How’d you know to come straight to the car park?”
“With Brother Lu gracing us, how could I sit still?”
Zhao Wenyu grinned as he approached, seeing Lin Wan arm-in-arm with two of the beauties on either side, while the third, a cool and aloof woman, stood nearby with an unsmiling air that made Zhao Wenyu feel his presence drop several levels, nearly to the basement.
“Brother Lu… these ladies are…?”
“Close confidantes,” Lu Zheng said calmly.
The women glanced over with half-smiles. Lu Zheng straightened up, unfazed.
Zhao Wenyu was awestruck. Zeng Jingyi, Wang Han, and Feng Yixing were dumbfounded.
Saying “friends” could be vague, but “close confidantes” basically meant they were all his girlfriends.
Just phrased more elegantly.
The four were stunned that Lu Zheng was so brazen about it.
Moreover…
Lin Wan did not seem to mind at all?
And the other three clearly were not ordinary women. How could they get along so harmoniously?
Most importantly, could one man handle it?
For a moment, Zhao Wenyu and the others were speechless, unsure how to respond.
Lu Zheng remained composed, glancing politely at Zeng Jingyi and the others. “And these three are?”
Zhao Wenyu quickly introduced them. Zeng Jingyi and Wang Han nodded stiffly, while Feng Yixing winked at Lu Zheng, all friendly.
“Nice to meet you!” Lu Zheng nodded. “So it’s really the domestic big four!”
“Exactly!” Zhao Wenyu nodded proudly. “Most provincial capitals couldn’t sustain this scene!”
“Alright, you lot get busy. I’m not competing today, just cheering from the sidelines. Oh, and tell everyone: if we lose today, tomorrow I’ll put you all through special training!” Lu Zheng waved.
Zhao Wenyu sighed helplessly. “Brother Lu, couldn’t you say something encouraging? If you’d come guide us occasionally like before, crushing these Gauls would be easy!”
Lu Zheng shrugged. “Then how did you only manage third place this year?”
Zhao Wenyu grew more helpless. “The Mao Xiong guys are literal human bears, and the Hans lot are all ironclad tanks. You really can’t dent them!”
“Excuses! You’re just rubbish!” Lu Zheng said. “Can’t even manage force through distance, and you call yourselves martial experts.”
Zhao Wenyu smirked slyly. “How about you compete next year?”
“Get lost!”
“Right away!”
Zhao Wenyu handed Lu Zheng five front-row tickets and scampered off.
But Zeng Jingyi and the others lingered. How many girlfriends Lu Zheng had was his business, and they had all cycled through several partners themselves, just not simultaneously like him. After all, their backs could not take it.
“Sister Wan, hello! I’ve wanted to meet you ever since seeing the video of you flipping that Northeast tiger. Can we add each other as friends?” Zeng Jingyi approached with a smile.
Feng Yixing sidled up grinning, eyes gleaming. “Big bro, impressive! Got any secret tonic for kidney strength?”
Wang Han perked his ears from the side.
Lu Zheng clapped Feng Yixing on the shoulder and murmured, “Two liang of epimedium, two liang of deer antler, two liang of cinnamon bark, three liang of prepared rehmannia, three liang of goji berries. Soak in two litres of water, boil down to half a litre, strain, boil each dose once, take twice daily after meals.”
Feng Yixing and Wang Han: ⚆_⚆?
There really was one?
